Sunday, September 20, 2015

If there had been one criticism of Johnny Depp in recent years, it was that his selection of roles was, at times, questionable. It's hard to bring to mind the last time he was truly compelling and able to get the audience lost in his character. He was a riot in 21 Jump Street'sremake a few years back, though.

But Depp had to an extent become an avante garde version of Adam Sandler.

"What about Jack Sparrow?"

Nope. That is simply Depp turned up a notch similar to pro wrestlers getting into character.

No, to tap into that reserve of talent isn't simply bumping it up a notch. It's immersing yourself in the character and turning it up to eleven. Depp does that in Black Mass, engulfing himself in evil as James "Whitey" Bulger. At times you almost feel guilty for enjoying his performance so much. His scenes are just pure evil, with the littlest of motions able to make your skin crawl. His thick, raspy Boston accent exudes a next-level nastiness.

The basic premise behind the film is that FBI agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) needs to take down the Italian mafia. He sees Bulger as that key, and will sacrifice his moral compass for the glory that comes with such a high profile coup.

The scene where they discuss the deal and its benefits takes place in a small alleyway, with Bulger creeping up on Connolly. It's the baddest man in town with the guy who is supposed to represent all that is good in the world. While I want to bring to mind Bulger being the Joker to Connolly's Batman, it's more fitting to make Connolly in to Harvey Dent. He's supposed to be the best of the best, but at his deepest is just as corruptible as anyone else. But Bulger is definitely the Joker, and Depp's tour de force performance makes me recall how the depths in which Heath Ledger went to play the Joker in 2008's Dark Knight.

This review would not be complete without a brief shout-out to the make-up crew as well. Transforming Depp into the notorious murderer could have gone awry in the wrong hands, but the hair, skin, eyes and even his teeth are very accurate and supplement the realness of Depp's Bulger.

While there are more than a few graphic scenes in the film, the one that stands out most to me is the bone-chilling scene where Bulger is over at Connolly's house for dinner. Connolly discloses his wife's absence is because she is sick, yet that does not deter Bulger. He heads to the bedroom, knocks on the door, surprising Marianne Connolly (Julianne Nicholson). He proceeds to call her bluff and violate her subtly, checking for a fever by placing his hand on her face and throat all the while making her feel incredibly uneasy with his choice of words.

"We wouldn't want anything to happen to you, now would we?"

His vague threats are enough to cause her to break down immediately, and for the viewer to wonder what the hell just happened.

On the flip side of the coin is a Bulger that actually has a heart. He is riding in the car in one scene and asks the driver to stop so he can check in on an older woman who he holds in high regard, greeting her with a hug and assisting her with her bags. His heart is later on display when he interacts with his son who later dies, flipping an absolutely evil switch in Bulger that can't be turned off.

This film was designed to glamorize the life of Bulger, yet Bulger's camp doesn't seem too impressed by it despite glowing reviews across the board.

"Johnny Depp might as well have been playing the Mad Hatter all over
again as far as James Bulger is concerned," Bulger's defense attorney Hank Brennan says. "Hollywood
greed is behind the rush to portray my client, and the movie missed the
real scourge created in my client's case, the real menace to Boston
during that time and in other mob cases around the country – the federal
government's complicity in each and every one of those murders with the
top echelon informant program."

While Edgerton's Connolly is at first thought to be the protagonist, it's Depp's vehicle to get Bulger over making him a rare dual protagonist/antagonist- a one man ying-yang.

The movie is also designed to remind people of Depp's abilities. This is not to take away from a stacked cast which includes Kevin Bacon, Corey Stoll, David Harbour, Peter Sarsgaard, Dakota Johnson, Jesse Plemons and Benedict Cumberbatch. While 2007's The Departed comes to mind as a movie that was stocked with plenty of questionable Boston accents, everyone's in Black Mass comes off as legitimate and not over the top.

Black Mass is at a respectable two hours and two minutes, and does not drag on at all. Every scene serves a purpose and tells the narrative quite well. If you are looking for accuracy, though, check out Whitey: United States of America v. James Bulger:

All in all, it's a superb film from director Scott Cooper who manages to capture the gritty look and feel of 1970's/1980's Boston, and a range of emotions not only from Depp, but his entire cast.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Does it get you hyped for this season's Ultimate Fighter? If you said no, then you'd be correct. The duo of fighters look like a mix between Braveheart and a zombie. The latter is rather fitting seeing as this season was dead on arrival before any punches were thrown or words were said.

Why you ask? Find out below.

WHERE'S THE BEEF?

Supposedly this whole thing began when the two got into a minor scuffle in the hallways of UFC 189. It was what it was...nothing. Yet determined to blow it out of proportion and force an issue, the two were signed on as coaches this season. Even Faber admits it's all for the cameras, and McGregor is a decent fellow.

“I speak my mind, I love to fight, he speaks his mind, he loves to
fight, and we don’t take crap. So that’s where things get heated up. But as a person, he’s
a decent dude when he’s being real," Faber told MMA Junkie.

Maybe the UFC was scared off by a potential language barrier with Aldo?

NO BLOWOFF TO THE "FEUD"

The premise of TUF has always been the two coaches squaring off at the end of the season. The tension is supposed to build to a fever pitch, so that by the time the card rolls around you want to see who the better fighter is. But in this case, we won't.

Urijah Faber and Connor McGregor aren't even in the same division. And even if they were? Faber is 36 and past his prime. His best days were in the WEC, and even then Faber struggled to beat fellow top tier WEC fighters such as Jose Aldo, Mike Brown and Dominick Cruz.

On the other hand, McGregor is 26 and on a scintillating tear through the featherweight division. He silenced doubters by dispatching of Chad Mendes in two rounds back in July, which only made his brash arrogance grow even more. His confidence may seem over the top to some, but who can fault a guy for being wildly successful in the world's number one mixed martial arts promotion and talking about it? Even Chuck Liddell can't.

NO, WE AREN'T ENTERTAINED

Just like the Joker needs Batman and vice versa, McGregor- ever the antagonist- needs his own protagonist to play off of. And I don't even mean physically- because that is a tall task. No, I mean verbally. Even if Faber were younger, in the same division and could take it to the Irishman in the octagon....his trash talking leaves a ton to be desired. Any time McGregor lands a devastating verbal blow, Faber fails to retaliate on the same level- if at all. It just seems like the little brother is bullying the big one, and not in an entertaining way.

GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS

While the coaches are used to sell the show (and McGregor does his part), ultimately it's just two guys pretending there's a beef where there isn't. Episode 2 already saw Ryan Hall win again with a leglock, starting a smaller scale Rousey-like level of submission precision. When it's all said and done, it's likely the fights and competitors will be Season 22's biggest stars.

That is definitely a plus for them, but leaves a lot more to be desired from people tuning in for fireworks and drama.

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Last weekend was a whirlwind of activity in the WWE
Universe. The weekend kicked off with NXT Takeover: Brooklyn, and was followed
by the second biggest show of the year- Summerslam. NXT is the future of the
WWE, and Summerslam put all the current stars on display. But it begs the
question:

Who will get lost in the shuffle?

WWE's roster is deep, despite what their booking makes you
believe. While some wrestlers are put in floundering roles, don't let it fool
you. They are all professionals with experience around the world, and can
wrestle. Does that mean WWE will let them go out and put on a five-star
classic? Of course not. There's only so much time they can devote to wrestling
when there are many awful segments and non-wrestling related filler they need
to stuff their shows with.

You would think having three hours would be more than enough
to get exposure for the entire roster, but the E does stand for entertainment.
Sometimes good, sometimes bad- the need to add more than just pure athleticism
and competition is there. With the new influx of NXT superstars, there will be
less time and storylines to devote to current WWE stars. Here’s who will suffer
most.

Dolph Ziggler

Yes, we know he’s a worker and can put on a great match on
any given night. We know he can bump out of the building and make any star look
even better. Yet that has been a constant criticism of Ziggler over the last
half-decade or so. His willingness to make everyone look good all the time is
frowned upon by some in charge, and that ill-timed concussion after he beat
Alberto Del Rio in 2012 didn’t help matters, either. Ziggler could help enhance
NXT talent and put over new stars, but it’s been obvious in the last few years
WWE doesn’t trust him to be a main event player. It also hinders him that he
has seen zero character development in years. The NXT influx will only continue
to push him down the totem pole.

Sheamus

“Wait, really? You mean the guy who won WWE’s Money in the
Bank briefcase- the symbol of a likely future WWE World Heavyweight champion?”
– You

Yes, I mean THAT Sheamus. He, like Ziggler, suffered for
years to progress his character beyond “Hey, I’m Irish.” After returning from
injury, it was thought a heel turn would do him good and add a little spice to
the otherwise dull Irishman. Yet since that heel turn with questionable facial
hair decisions, little has changed to make him seem anything than a good worker
and journeyman to the stars. His recent feud (if you want to call it that) with
Randy Orton has done nothing to change anything. His promos still lack any sort
of conviction and are typically cheesy and forced. I cannot think of a reason
why WWE would put their main title on him within the next calendar year- and
that’s NOT the thought you want anyone having about your MITB winner. While
Sheamus can put on a good match more often than not, his limitations will
hamper him with the new crop of young stars.

Los Matadores

Yes, the team with the little guy dressed as a bull. That is
the team’s claim to fame. While both are great wrestlers and technically sound,
WWE hasn’t let them showcase it with any sort of great matches or even flashy
moves. The duo gets no promo time, and gives the fans no reason to get behind
them except “flying miniature bull”. This makes me wonder why they were in the
tag title match at Summerslam instead of calling up Enzo and Cass in New York.
The team’s exposure will only dwindle from here, as eventually El Torito- like
Hornswaggle before him- will become stale and not relevant.

The Ascension

The most ironically-named team might even have it harder
than Los Matadores. They get far less time on RAW or Smackdown, and haven’t
accomplished anything of note since debuting and beating jobber teams. They do,
however, come across as very likeable on the WWE Network show Swerved. But that’s about it.

They were treated as big fish in the small pond of NXT- but
the main stage has exposed their limitations both on the mic and in the ring.
The fact they haven’t found a way to consistently get time every week as well
as pay-per-view matches to vie for the tag titles is pretty telling. The
Ascension is on the way down the WWE hierarchy, and the youngsters will only speed
up that regression.

The Bellas

“The Divas Revolution” term has been tossed around so often
by the WWE that if you made it a drinking game you would have been dead a month
ago. It equates simply to “women get more time to wrestle, with no motivation
or personality”.

The two females who are dearly clutching on to their spots
are the Bellas. Yes, they move merchandise and are both tied to two company
golden boys (John Cena and Daniel Bryan)- but would the division really miss
much without the limited duo? Give all the credit to Nikki the last year or so,
though. She has improved her game in the ring, which is far better than Brie.
But both struggle on the mic, sounding rigid and rehearsed. The new crop of NXT
Divas can wrestle circles around the Bellas, and all have giant chips on their
shoulders. Once WWE gets past the tired female tropes of women only being
jealous or crazy and treat the division similar to the men’s, the Bellas will
fail to keep up.

Alex Reilly

Yes, he’s really on the WWE roster still. There’s not much
to follow that up than with “lol seriously?”

Cameron

The writing was on the wall after her role on Total Divas
was massively reduced. Once her “feud” with Naomi was over last year, the most
she’s done since then is offer a line or two of dialogue every few episodes of TD. With no outstanding in-ring or promo
skills, as well as no male to tie herself to- Cameron will struggle to gain any
traction and will likely be future endeavored before 2016.

Jack Swagger

Swagger’s high point was his feud against Alberto Del Rio
heading into Wrestlemania 29. Since then, he was all but killed off by Rusev,
and has only had a few televised matches in the last year or so. His character
was strengthened by the uber-talented Zeb Coulter, but Vince McMahon has
forgotten Swagger exists and the current NXT bunch will put the nail in his WWE
career’s coffin soon.

Wade Barrett

This one pains me, because I truly like Wade Barrett and
believe he was the best thing outside of Daniel Bryan to come from 2010’s
alternate version of NXT. While some stars on this list are there simply
because they lack certain abilities, Barrett is a victim of booking and
injuries.

His gimmick was simple: a British brawler who has no issue
smashing your face and being charmingly arrogant about it. He was able to break
through as leader of the Nexus versus John Cena- and we all know how that
turned out. Injuries sidelined him multiple times, but he eventually caught
fire again as Bad News Barrett. The gimmick was later scrapped out of nowhere,
pulling the rug out from underneath the talented Brit. Winning King of the Ring
did for him what the Intercontinental title did- nothing. He lost far more than
he won, and would likely be booked for the pre-show of special events.

While former Nexus members such as Ryback, Darren Young, Daniel
Bryan- and even Heath Slater- have gone on to have standout careers in the WWE,
it’s quite ironic their talented leader is treated like Marty Jannetty. The
current iteration of NXT will do him no favors.

Emma

Emma caught fire in NXT as the awkward, quirky Aussie who
did the arm thing. Since then, she’s accomplished nothing of note outside of
being Santino Marella’s on-air girlfriend and stealing an i-Phone case at
Walmart. Sure, she’s on Total Divas and seen most weeks on RAW, but has no
direction and little room for leeway in a crowded Divas division.

R-Truth/Kane/Big Show

This is not a reflection on their talents, but more so their
ages. The trio have done a lot of great stuff in their collective 47 years of
WWE experience, but offer very little in ring in 2015. I see Show and Truth
transitioning to road agents or trainers in Florida eventually, with Kane
pursuing politics as he has stated previously. The amount of time devoted to
them could be better served giving exposure to younger stars.

My thoughts are in no way infallible. There are still
chances for some of these stars to redeem themselves and catch on with
different gimmicks or improvements, but I don’t see it right now. With NXT
setting the bar higher and higher, most of these WWE stars listed here should be feeling
the pressure to perform.

Did I leave someone out? Do you not agree with any of the selections here? Let me know @SeanNeutron.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Person A wakes up with a routine every day. Alarm clock, shower, breakfast- then maybe off to school or work. Forming these patterns keeps them in order and set up for success.

Person B wakes up every day and it's roller coaster from the second they step up out of the bed fifteen minutes late. They just try to hold on for dear life and hope they make it to five o'clock.

The Golden State Warriors are Person A. The Houston Rockets are Person B.

This isn't to say the Rockets don't have their own routines in preparing for games. Their playing style is just hard to predict, which so far this postseason has been an advantage and disadvantage simultaneously.

In round one against Mavericks, Houston looked every bit the 2 seed they earned following the regular season. They won 4-1, and confidence was at an all-time high.

In the semi-finals against the Clippers, they lost by a total of 74 points in three of the first four games. Their lone win was by a mere six points. They'd go on to close out the series with three double digit wins in a row by a combined 46 points.

Regardless of the remarkable comeback win (only the ninth such occurrence in NBA history), the NBA world gave Houston zero chances to beat the stellar Warriors led by NBA MVP Stephen Curry. After two close losses (Game 1 by four, Game 2 by 1), Houston didn't do much to dispel the notion the Warriors would win. But they showed if they were going down, they'd do so swinging with all they had.

Until Game 3.

Game 3 brought back memories of the two Clippers' blowouts. Curry's Warriors not only deflated Rocket Nation's balloon. They popped it and threw it in an incinerator, winning 115-80 in Houston. Curry was simply dazzling, scoring 40 points on 12-19 shooting (7-9 from beyond the arc). The Warriors did everything right, whether it was spreading the ball (26 assists to Houston's 15), or snagging it off the boards (60-39 rebounding advantage). They shot 45% from the field to Houston's 33%.

The Rockets' game is dependent on kicking, slashing and most of all- hitting three's. Going 5 for 25 at the worst time of the season hurt their entire effort. Not a single player had a positive plus/minus. James Harden was anything but an MVP candidate, going 3-16 for 17 points. His deadly stepback jumper wasn't falling, which spelled doom for Houston.

Howard had a respectable 14/14- yet without the deep ball to stretch the league's best defense, there was no shot at establishing a threatening post game playing from such a large deficit.

Down 3-0 after a 35 point loss at home would surely spell defeat in Game 4. Houston would just keel over and clear the way for the Warriors to get 9 days off until the NBA Finals and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Critics would begin the Harden bashing (if they hadn't already). Dwight's effort to get a ring would surely be snuffed out and a summer full of #DwightCantWin would begin.

Except Houston didn't get that memo. No really. There was a memo:

Instead of playing defeated at home again, Houston not only made it competitive. They dominated the first quarter, shooting 77% and scoring 45 points (8/9 from three). Video Game Josh Smith was back and the 2K Rockets were giving it their best shot, at one point building a 25 point lead. Curry took a nasty spill leaping over a pump-faking Trevor Ariza, landing on his back, arm and head. It not only scared the Warriors faithful, but Houston's as well. You might be in a Western Conference Finals game, but not a single person wanted to see the great Curry get injured. After a few minutes, Curry walked to the back with his arm being held. Ironically, Golden State played better after. They would get the score to within 10 points at halftime behind the hot shooting of Klay Thompson.

Curry passed all the concussion protocol tests, and halfway through the third returned as Warriors fans across the country breathed a sigh of relief. It could be debated if it was right or wrong- but teh coaching staff, trainers, Curry's father and Curry deemed him fit to play. Curry let off a wonky 22 foot stepback, and many wondered if he was anything remotely close to the regular season MVP who won over the country. He'd update everyone after the game on his status.

"It was all minor stuff compared to how it looked. But
I'll get some good rest and be ready to go. Since it
happened to now, nothing has gotten worse."

The Warriors would drain 20 three-pointers (nine more than in their 35 point blowout), yet it was not enough on Monday night.

While the attention was on Curry to see how he was affected, Harden showed the pressure of being down 3-0 against the best team in the NBA hadn't affected him. He went 13-22 (7-10 from three) with nine rebounds and five assists. That was the kind of game he and the Rockets desperately needed following such a humiliating loss at home the game before.

"I always want to take it out on my opponent in a good way," Harden
said. "Just being aggressive, taking shots, getting to the basket, not
really forcing anything and allowing the game to come to me." - James Harden

Many viewed the lone Rockets' win as an anomaly and an abomination. It wouldn't happen again to such a deep and talented Warriors team. After all- Curry was hurt. Except that excuse holds no water, as they got closer without him before he returned to form in the fourth quarter. Like it or not, Houston simply played better and sustained the lead wire-to-wire. But there was one more bone of contention for Houston skeptics:

Howard did it again. His unnecessary retaliation against a missed Bogut foul earned him a Flagrant 1. Many questioned it, after Al Horford was ejected for a lesser foul against Matthew Delladova the night before. If anything, it would be reviewed by the league and he'd be suspended for Game 5- dealing the Rockets a sure deathblow.

This ruling was called into question, leaving us to wonder what exactly has to happen for a Flagrant 2 to be called? I don't think I want to find out at this point.

All of this brings us to Wednesday night- another elimination game for Harden and his Rockets. They are the first team since the 2006 Suns to win four such games in a row. The doubters are out in full force. Do I blame them? Nope. Houston is the lesser team. Even if the series was 2-2, they'd be at a disadvantage without homecourt to the tremendous Warriors. History has told us it can't be done. No team can win four games in a row after being down 3-0 (116-0). Does that matter to Harden? Nope.

“Most teams can’t come back from being down 3-1, but we did. We have to continue to fight — to go out there and play Rockets
basketball. It’s win or go home. We understand that.”

Many look to Houston's coming back from 3-1 as a sign to believe. It in no way carries over from one series the next, especially against a team such as Golden State. But it does show the resilience and the ability Houston has to do what most think is impossible. It's easy to dismiss the underdogs against such a likeable favorite. Aside from Rockets fans, who doesn't want a Finals involving LeBron and Steph? It would be a ratings dream for Adam Silver, and exciting basketball for fans everywhere.

Analysts and pundits get paid for living to research teams and players. They discuss who will win and why. They discuss why the team won, and what led to the other losing. They pour through stats, plays and anything they can get their hands on to look as intelligent as possible.

But what explains a team being on the verge of basketball death not once. Not twice. Not three times- but four...and coming out on top?

Not a damn thing. No number of statistics, graphs or video breakdowns will enlighten anyone any further on why Houston has managed to stave off elimination four games in a row. Their unpredictable nature is not only frustrating for everyone involved (media, coaches, players, fans)...but also an advantage for them.

But being the team that is supposed to lose takes the pressure off a bit even on the road. The Warriors should close Houston out tonight at home. If for some reason they don't, all the skeptics will be looking Curry and Kerr's way.

Does Golden State have any idea what Houston team is coming to Oakland tonight?

Nope.

And that's just how the Rockets prefer it.

*All quotes in this article obtained from ESPN.com and Jonathan Feigen of HoustonChronicle.com.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

If there’s one thing going for the Rockets
heading into tonight’s Western Conference Finals match-up against the
Warriors, it’s that they can get under their opponent’s skin. They have
built a reputation outside of Houston for being unlikeable. It comes
from a multitude of reasons- some fair and some not.

The first is Dwight Howard. I’ll admit, I wasn’t crazy about him during the end of his Magic
run. He seemed entitled and hadn’t progressed his game to it should have been after almost eight years in the league. He
threw Stan Van Gundy under the bus, and treated most situations like a
joke. When he went to the Lakers,
I didn’t feel any dislike. Just disappointment. He wasn’t half the
player he was back in 2009 when he led his Magic to the Finals (a 4-0
sweep courtesy of the Lakers). He was constantly hurt or playing poorly.

Now after almost two seasons in Houston, Howard still has a reputation for being not liked around the league. Gary Payton commented on it back in November:

“I think he’s disliked by a lot of players,” Payton said. “What Dwight
does is, you know you see all the smiles and all the antics, that is
getting on player’s nerves. To get this guy, Kevin Durant, to do what he did,
you know it’s starting to become a problem with players, because Kevin
Durant doesn’t really talk to anybody … [Durant] goes at people that are
fake with stuff. Only fake guys.”

To be fair to Dwight, Durant did seem on edge all season. Injuries to OKC on top of under-performing made the 2014 NBA
MVP more volatile than usual. The slightest of critiques seemed to set
him off, whether from players on court such as Dwight- or the media asking him questions. But the fact remains that Dwight apparently did something to draw the ire of one of the league’s most respected players.

Or it’s possible Patrick Beverley’s shot on
Russell Westbrook from the 2013 playoffs was in the back of Durant’s
head at the time, too.

Another reason for the hate on Houston? James Harden.

Harden has the ability to slice up a
defense on any given night. His handles are treacherous. His shot is
deadly. And his ability to get in the lane and draw fouls is
mesmerizing. Or totally the worst thing ever- depending how you look at
it. While a player such as Durant gets praised for his ability to create
contact and shoot a high number of free throws, Harden gets slammed for
it by almost everyone. Almost.

"He’s an expert at it. He actually does get fouled on most
of them. He throws those arms up. It’s funny, in the playoffs teams are
really aware of it and he doesn’t get those calls. It’s interesting how
that changes to me, but it’s hard. It’s hard to prepare for. He’s
coming at you. You want to stop him. He’s good at it. He’s as good of a
guard as I can remember. Grant Hill, if you remember, did it a lot with
cuts, the way he would cut into you and run into you and throw his arms
up. Very few guys with the ball do that as well as him and not lose the ball. It’s amazing.”

“To turn Harden from a sniper into a driver, Pera put him through daily
X-out drills, in which Harden had to convert eight straight layups while
Pera punished him with an arm pad. They made a standing bet: If Harden
shot more than six free throws in a game, Pera owed him a hamburger; if
Harden shot fewer than six, he owed Pera sprints. Harden discovered ways
to contort his limbs through and around defenders, collecting whistles
and patties.”

Whether you love it or hate it, it gets results. Harden averaged 8.8
free throws made a game, and 10.2 attempted. It wasn’t just flopping as
some suggested. It’s an aspect of the game opponents have to plan for
and attempt to mitigate it. And when Harden doesn’t get a call?
He whines…just like literally every other player in the league. It’s
not solely a Harden thing. It’s the culture of today’s NBA.

But a chief complaint the last couple of years for Houston wasn’t
Howard or Harden. It all seemed to begin with the aforementioned
Beverley hit on Westbrook. It placed a spotlight on him, and his
aggressive nature on defense was seen as annoying and overwhelming.
What’s the alternate option? Not trying on defense? Playing loosely?

While others seemed to express disdain for it, Beverley capitalized on it- dubbing himself Mr. 94 Feet. As in, he covers you the entire way down the floor from end to end.

A common gripe amongst NBA fans is that head coach Kevin McHale simply
wasn’t good enough to be a head coach. His small sample size in Minnesota
was a failure, and he hadn’t made much headway as head coach of the
Rockets. McHale’s been seen as not having the skills of to match up with
the likes of Greg Popovich, Doc Rivers or Steve Kerr. Yet here he is.
Regardless of whether or not Houston moves on to the NBA Finals, McHale
has overachieved and adapted to an ever-changing scenery. His move to
keep Harden on the bench in the fourth quarter of Game 6 against the
Clippers might have been his finest as Rockets’ head coach.

One of the newest reasons to dislike Houston? They got who many
perceived as an underachieving player (Josh Smith) for almost nothing
back in December. His time in Detroit was largely forgettable, and many
saw it as a cash grab for Smith with little effort put forth. He took
many bad shots, especially from three point land. Never mind the fact
that Joe Dumars should have never made the move in the first
place. While many doubted Smith’s abilities and chances to transition to
Houston’s style, the former AAU teammate of Howard has fit in nicely.
Now the ire isn’t from his lack of effort, but the unexplainable
successful nature of his game- most recently against the Clippers.

“I mean, it’s the postseason. So I don’t think at this point none of the
teams are going to be playing passive. It’s time to lace the shoes up,
heighten the shorts up a little higher and get after it a little bit. I
expect the players dictating these games, as deep as the postseason is
right now. I look forward to a very competitive series.”

Regardless of the team’s reputation prior to this series against the 67-15 Golden State Warriors,
Houston had an uphill battle to gain any groundswell of support. The
Warriors are an excellent team- fun and flashy. Unlike the Suns
of Steve Nash (7 Seconds or Less), they have substance to their style.
They are dazzling, deadly, and deep. They don’t just have two studs
(Curry and Thompson) who can kill you behind the arc. They can go big
when it matters (Maurice Speights, David Lee, Andrew Bogut). But like
Houston, they can adapt to small ball as well, using Harrison Barnes and
Draymond Greene as stretch fours. Shaun Livingston can be a nightmare
as a 6’7″ point guard on defense, as well as his vision on offense.
Andre Iguodala is no slouch either, providing an x-factor for Golden
State.

The Rockets and Warriors already have a little history, stemming back from November:

“I didn’t bump into him,” Ariza said. “I was running and he just turned into me. That was it.”

Maybe the final reason is because Houston simply shouldn’t be here.
After last summer’s multiple whiffs in free agency, getting Trevor
Ariza was viewed as underwhelming for a team with a GM obsessed with
star-finding. Houston shouldn’t have been able to finish second in the
West, win their division.They shouldn’t have been able to seamlessly
transition Smith, Corey Brewer and Pablo Prigioni. But they did.

But they sure as hell shouldn’t have been able to beat the Clippers after being down 3-1, right? But they did.

Harden and Howard have been seen as not being leaders and not being
able to win an NBA Championship. And now that they are facing the most
talented team in the NBA? I don’t see that perception changing.

Every story needs a hero and a villain. Viewers need a side to pull for, and side to seethe. That's what gets ratings. Not that the Rockets mind. They seem to play better with a chip on their shoulder and their backs against the wall.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

"I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past." - Thomas Jefferson

Those who are blessed with immense talents (whatever the field one may be in) rarely ever take the time to appreciate what they have accomplished. They just move on to the next thing, always looking to evolve. Regression is feared, and being complacent is looked at as a disease. Well, unless you are Kanye West. Dude loves him some Kanye and practically invented the phrase "pat yourself on the back".
If the Clippers and Rockets plan on advancing to the Western Conference Finals, they should embrace the potential of making history and not getting lost in the past. Clippers stole home court advantage after a Game 1 117-101 thrashing in Houston? Big deal. Houston wins the next game by six.Only six points? The Clippers respond and win games 3 and 4 by a combined 58 points. Not to be outdone the Rockets win by 21 in Game 5, and use a 34 point swing on the road to even up the series 3-3. What's that all mean now?Nothing.Both teams know what is on the line. If players need motivation at this point in the season, they might as well just not show up. The Clippers (and Chris Paul) have been on the verge of being to their first ever Western Conference Finals. The Rockets are trying to reverse this and become the ninth team to win a series after being down 3-1. (There is a franchise precedent: the 1995 Rockets did this against the Phoenix Suns in the semifinals.)

Now the only advantage that either team has is Houston's home court. Clutch City is passionate about their basketball, and fans will be on full display Sunday afternoon. This is the Game 7 they so desperately wanted to get to before Damian Lillard destroyed everything. Does that scare the Clippers? Likely not, after opening the series by deflating Rockets fans everywhere. They led 3-1, and those teams all-time are 219-8 (96%).But home teams win 80% of the time, favoring Houston- who have also won two in a row. Paul's Clippers have played in four Game 7's together (their second in two series).While all these nuggets of statistical info are intriguing, come tomorrow afternoon they mean nothing. All the adjustments have been made by both Doc Rivers and Kevin McHale. Chris Paul's minutes were limited early on. Doc was daring McHale to foul DeAndre Jordan, leaving him to sink or swim at the free-throw line. Josh Smith was shifted into the starting line up. James Harden was held on the bench for the entire fourth quarter in Game 6. All these moves have paid off so far and gotten each team to a deciding Game 7. (The one last move that can be made is neither coach employing the "hack-a-whoever" strategy.)Tomorrow is not about adjusting is much as it is about sustaining. Both teams have shown they are susceptible to losing leads and momentum. The Clippers admitted they had even taken their foot off the gas on Thursday night, allowing Josh Smith and Corey Brewer to look like 2010's LeBron James and Dwayne Wade.Each squad is left with major questions. In a "what have you done for me lately" sports world, are the Clippers as good as advertised in the first four games? Or are we going to see the team who has disappeared the last two games? Can Blake Griffin keep his gas tank full, or will he be running on empty in the fourth?After a regular season where Houston won its division and finished second in the West, can they be that team and finish strong? Or are they the team who is prone to blowouts and goes through long periods of sloppy play and bad shots? After a sub-par Game 6, James Harden must have a statement game to assure a showdown against NBA MVP Stephen Curry. With it being the lone game left in the second round, the stage is set for the winner to receive an inordinate amount of adulation heading into a Western Conference Finals match-up against the very scary Golden State Warriors.The Warriors have come out to play. Who's going to embrace the future and join them?

Friday, May 15, 2015

There are moments as a fan that only happen because of one characteristic: loyalty. Never give up on your team, no matter how steep the mountain looks. And if they fail to climb it? So be it.

I should know this. A decade a go during the Yao Ming/Tracy McGrady days, T-Mac went and put his team on his back. Houston was down 74-64 with less than a minute to go.

"I have school early tomorrow. I'm just going to shower and hit the hay."

Wrong move, O'Brien.

Ten minutes later I walk back in the room and McGrady was swamped by his teammates with his hands extended, lying on the court. The basketball phenom had managed to tally 13 points in 35 seconds of game time with four threes, with one being part of a four point play. Houston won, the final three by T-Mac coming with 1.6 seconds left over three Spurs.

From then on I'd vow never to leave a game, no matter how daunting the situation looked.

Fast forward to Thursday night.

Game 6 was tight for most of the first half, with the Clippers edging Houston, 64-62. Hope was not lost for the Rockets...but they were in the building which saw them get walloped by an average of 126-97 in games 3 and 4. To say there was a stigma for the Rockets and its fans is putting it mildly. If this team got down by double digits at all...especially in the second half- it'd be very easy to write them off.

It started harmlessly enough in the third, with JJ Redick drilling a three to put LA up 67-62. Then it started to add up..quickly. DeAndre Jordan blocked Dwight. Barnes hit a layup. Griffin hit a jumper. Before Houston blinked, they were down 71-62 with not even two minutes gone in the second half.

The Clippers did what they had done all series at home. They moved the ball, frustrated Houston into silly fouls, and Chris Paul was the maestro of LA's orchestra. With 2:34 left, the former Demon Deacon put his team up 89-70 with a jumper. Houston would close to within 13 by the end of the third. But 13 points on the road to this Clippers squad? Might as well make it fifty.

It was actually Houston's fiftieth time playing in a playoff game down by at least 10 points heading into the fourth. Their record in the previous 49?

0-49.

SportsCenter's Robert Flores (an admitted Rockets fan) even casually mentioned the game, yet told viewers "it looks like the Clippers will be in the Western Conference Finals."

Game 5 saw Houston make all the right moves, never once giving up the lead after taking it in the first quarter. They looked sharp, confident and with purpose at home. But everyone expected that all to fade away under the bright lights of Hollywood. Except when the lights got brighter and the stage bigger, it wasn't who the usual suspects who brought the Rockets out of their basketball coma.

Ok, so they won. Obviously the comeback had to be because James Harden went off, and Dwight Howard was getting alley-ooped left and right. As I said yesterday:

"Los Angeles hasn't been kind to Howard in recent times, but tonight he and Harden must step up facing elimination."

What did you just say? Neither Harden nor Howard managed to score a field goal in the entire fourth quarter? Yeah, sure. You mean to tell me the two players Morey aligned stars for didn't have a direct effect offensively for Houston?

The duo rang up 29 points (15/14 respectively, 9-13 from the field) in the 4th.

Well, stats don't lie. Houston outscored the Clippers 40-15 in the final act of Thursday night, and none of it due to Harden or Howard offensively. But Howard did throw in 20 points and 21 boards, coming up big on the glass in the fourth. They finished on a 49-18 run in the final 14:34 of the game, 25-5 in the final 6:47. To add to the numbers, Houston went 7-11 from three, holding LAC to 5-27 from the field. After Jordan dominated the Rockets earlier in the series on the boards, Houston responded by out-rebounding the Clippers 24-8 in the fourth.

Josh Smith reigned clutch shot after clutch shot, as well as a key block towards the end. The tide had turned, and all of LA was reeling.

"Are we really getting beaten by Josh Smith at home in a game that could send us to the Western Conference Finals?" I know this because Mike Tirico reminded viewers once every five seconds.

Trust me, I didn't believe it either. Smith looked...smoove. I mean, smooth. There was no awkwardness to his shot. It looked bad at other times during the game, but you'd never have guessed he was a a player written off by the Pistons in December.

Once Houston went up 10 with a little over a minute ago, the writing was on the wall for LA and its fans. There would in fact be a Game 7 in Houston on Sunday. And while 3-1 after two blowouts looked more than favorable for the Clippers.. a Game 7 on the road to the second seed in the West does not. No matter how good Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, JJ Redick and Austin Rivers have been- momentum has now shifted to the Rockets.

Houston proved they can get their home crowd to get behind them, after blowing the Clippers out 124-103 in Game 5. They might be the two seed, but according to the majority of fans- they are the underdogs. This season is eerily reminiscent of Houston's '95 squad- an overachieving 6 seed who overcame a 20 point deficit at one point, and went on to defeat the top 3 seeds in the West on their way to an NBA Championship. One of which was the Suns, after trailing 3-1.

As I wrote before, the Rockets have been overachieving all year. If this was any other Rockets team, they would have folded by now- especially on the road. I shouldn't be here writing about a win. I should be writing about what could or should have been.

But the Rockets did win, and Sunday they'll look to continue their improbable run in the 2015 playoffs.